Who’s on deck?

June 9, 2012by rob biertempfel

Other than the home plate umpire, the guy with the best view of Rod Barajas’ Superman slide last night should have been ErikBedard. The lefty was on deck at the time, so he was stationed behind the plate to guide Barajas home after Clint Barmes singled … correct?

Actually, no. “I wasn’t even there,” Bedard admitted with a laugh. “I was supposed to be there to tell him whether to slide or (score standing) up, but I forgot. I was still leaning on the rail (near the dugout). I was like, Oh, boy. Oops.” Before you come down too hard on Bedard, remember that he spent his first eight seasons in the AL and had just 20 at-bats coming into this year, so he’s not altogether familiar with the duties on a on-deck batter.

»»» Fast to 30: Last night, the Pirates notched victory No. 30 in their 57th game of the season. That’s faster than in any year since 1992 (their last playoff season), when they did it in 53 games. Recent runners-up: 1999 (58 games) and 1997 (59 games).

»»» Memories: Tonight at Turner Field in Atlanta, the Braves are giving away Sid Bream “The Slide” bobbleheads to celebrate their improbable 1992 NLCS triumph. Tonight at PNC Park, the Pirates also are paying homage to a one-hit wonder from the ’90s by staging a postgame Boyz 2 Men concert.

»»» Full hosue: Tonight’s game will be the fourth sellout of the year at PNC Park.

»»» Minor matter:Stetson Allie almost certainly will begin his career as a position player at rookie level Bradenton, where he will play third base.